New & A Bit Alarming
by PhantomsAngel1870
Summary: When Maurice is held captive in the Beast's tower Belle promises she'll find a way to save him and immediately runs away back to Villeneuve. Once she gets there she employs Gaston's help to save her father and as two unlikely forces join together feelings are surfaced, secrets are faced, and it's up to an unlikely pair to save everyone. Belle/Gaston BATB 2017
1. Chapter 1

Hello! Thank you for opening my fan fiction! I am looking to give a twist on the 2017 version of Beauty and the Beast and I hope everyone enjoy's it! A BIG thank you to my beta Bride of Thranduil and her stories that have inspired me!

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Belle woke up to the first few rays of dawn seeping into her bedroom. Sitting up in bed, she stretched her arms and legs in preparation for the day's work ahead of her. For a moment, she listened for the usual sounds of her father tinkering with his music boxes at his makeshift workbench, but was welcomed with the beautiful music of silence. It was something she had learned to appreciate. As she got up to go search for her father, Belle remembered that he had left yesterday for the fair to sell his creations. He was hoping to find a financer to help him create a larger business out of his life's passion.

Seeing that she had a few free days ahead of her, Belle piled up the laundry into her new washing invention along with a copy of _Romeo & Juliet _and began making her way to the town square to finish her chores so she could have the rest of the day to herself.

Along the way she passed several villagers and greeted them each with a smile. She gave each child a small wave. When they returned her greeting with a confused look Belle sighed and continued her journey to the washing well. She knew that people thought she was different and she credited that to her intelligence to a degree. She refused to allow the norms that came with a small village and small-minded people to change her passion for reading and imagining far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells and princes in disguise.

As Belle began setting up the washing machine she threw in a handful of rose petals and a bar of soap to clean even faster. With a small nudge to the donkey she borrowed from a fellow villager, Belle sat back and watched her invention come to life, innovating the way that women could be doing their laundry, compared to way they performed the task every day.

Belle sat back against the short stone wall, pleased with herself, and opened her book to begin reading where she left off,

"'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;

Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,

Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part

Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!

What's in a name? that which we call a rose  
By any other name would smell as sweet;  
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,  
Retain that dear perfection which he owes  
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,  
And for that name which is no part of thee  
Take all myself."

A small smile crept across Belle's lips as she finished Juliet's monologue to Romeo. She yearned for a relationship where titles and statuses were not involved. She wanted to live happily with someone because they cared for her because of who _she_ was, not her father or how much land was associated with their union in her dowry – in her case her husband wouldn't receive much at all.

The headmaster was passing through the square when he heard the immaculate spoken word of Shakespeare being recited. He began searching for the source in order to find the boy of his that well deserved impeccable marks the next day of class. As he reached the washing well he found the source and audibly gasped when he found Belle sitting on the floor reading the text he had heard not too far away. Belle turned towards the source of the sound and was shocked that the Headmaster was standing in front of her.

The Headmaster, seein it was Belle, immediately changed his attitude towards his discovery and glared at her.

"What on earth are you doing? Reading _another_ book? Isn't one enough?" He immediately grabbed the book and began searching through its contents.

"It doesn't even have any pictures? How on earth are you reading this?" The Headmaster inquired. No one in his class of boys had begun such advanced material and yet a _girl_ above all things was farther along than his own class – and he was the most esteemed teacher in the village.

"One doesn't need pictures in order to appreciate a well-versed story, Monsieur Headmaster," Belle replied coolly, due to the attitude the man in front of her was projecting. Belle could handle being the subject of gossip around the village, but when a supposedly well-respected person treated her in such a way to her face, she drew the line quite clearly.

With a grunt as his sole response, Belle watched as the Headmaster tossed her book into the mud nearby and walked off towards a group of boys loitering nearby. Belle immediately grabbed the book off the ground and began cleaning it with a cloth she pulled from the pocket on her dress. Once the mud was off the cover and binding Belle replaced it back in her pocket and threw the now dirty cloth into the washing machine that was almost finished churning the clothes. Unfortunately, it was never allowed to finish its job because the Headmaster soon returned with several strong men and they overturned all of its contents onto the ground, furthering her torment by spitting on the pile as well.

Belle could feel tears begin to sting her eyes, but she refused to give the men in front of her the satisfaction of seeing how their actions affected her. Several more townspeople, seeing the scene unfold before them, came towards Belle and the Headmaster as they stood nose to nose glaring at each other. The villagers soon began to side with the Headmaster, slinging slurs and crude words towards Belle for being cruel to the Headmaster and plotting to take his place to teach their children.

Belle, hearing the accusations, tried to diffuse the tension and anger radiating from the crowd forming in front of her.

"Please, no! I meant no harm! I don't want to take anyone's job in the village! I was just doing my laundry!"

Unbeknownst to Belle, LeFou witnessed the entire scene and knew that he needed to do something immediately before things got out of control. He ran all the way through the village until he arrived at the local tavern and threw the doors open. Everyone inside immediately looked towards the new arrival, but LeFou didn't care about any of those people. His goal was the one farthest in the back, staring at the gun laid across the mantle above the large fireplace. He carefully made his way to the target and cleared his throat in order to not startle his friend.

"Am I catching you at a bad time?" LeFou asked cautiously. When Gaston's mind drifted back to the war, there was no telling how he would react to being interrupted, depending on what he was remembering. LeFou had once clapped Gaston on the back without realizing his friend was thinking back to his time in the army and received a punch in the gut without any warning. It warranted a rare apology from Gaston, but also a strict warning to never try to ambush him like that again.

Gaston, hearing his friend in the background sighed and rubbed his eyes before turning to face him. No matter the village's small size, there was always something that needed Gaston's attention. At first he enjoyed the fact that everyone always needed him, but there came a point where even Gaston needed some time to himself. Still, he never wanted anyone to think that they couldn't ask him for help. He could do anything that needed doing.

"What is it, LeFou?" Gaston finally asked, preparing himself for another farmer needing help pushing a cart through the mud.

"A certain _damsel_ is in _distress_ ," LeFou replied. This caused a smile to creep across Gaston's face as he realized that this was a perfect opportunity to show the damsel just how much he could help her.

"Ah, it's hero time," Gaston exclaimed as he jumped up and threw on his coat. He ran outside, jumped on his horse and raced towards the sound of the growing commotion.

As soon as Gaston arrived at the washing well he saw Belle and the Headmaster glaring at each other, obviously arguing about something important. Seeing that his mere presence wasn't enough to disperse the crowd, he raised his gun and fired a warning shot into the sky. People immediately jumped at the loud sound and moved out of Gaston's way, staring at him as he passed by. Once Gaston reached the front of the crowd near Belle and the Headmaster, he immediately turned and glared at everyone.

"This is not how good people behave! Everyone go home," Gaston used the authoritative voice he had acquired from his time as a military captain. When everyone continued looking at Belle and the Headmaster, he took one step forward and glared at the crowd again.

"Now." Gaston demanded and this time around it seemed that everyone knew how serious he was and immediately went back to their unfinished chores. Realizing that everything wasn't as tense anymore, Gaston leaned over to LeFou and whispered,

"I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm pretty sure I just fixed it." Earning a nod from LeFou, Gaston watched as Belle picked up the basket of clothing and rolled her eyes towards him as she made her journey back home. Gaston knew he needed to make sure Belle understood why the crowd acted the way they did and began following her, despite LeFou's failed attempts to warn him not to pursue her today.

Once Gaston eventually caught up to Belle on his horse, he jumped off and began walking next to her.

"Belle! I heard you had trouble with the Headmaster. He never liked me either," Gaston told her as he followed in step towards their destination. He held his hands out gesturing to the basket of clothes and Belle reluctantly handed them over. She was secretly grateful she didn't have to carry them anymore, for her arms were growing sore. As Gaston carried the basket, he looked towards Belle and began talking again.

"Can I give you a little advice about the villagers?" Gaston asked. Belle gave an absentminded nod and he took a deep breath to try to explain to her the fragile situation that was the village of Villeneuve.

"They're never going to trust the kind of change that you're trying to bring," Gaston began his speech about the village he had grown up in, where people carried on the same traditions year after year. He knew firsthand what was expected of women and men in their village. He knew that Belle was not like all the other women he had met and that was half the reason he fell so hard for her.

"All I wanted was to read a book," Belle interjected, obviously offended that the villagers had the audacity to say the things they did all because she could read. She was angered by how people couldn't see that what she did didn't harm anything except their pride.

"The only people that you should concern yourself with reading well enough…are your future sons." Gaston tried to say as lightly as possible. Men in the village were expected to read fluently for when they had to go to market or read maps to travel. Gaston himself was taught to read fluently by the age of seven and he was the first in his class to be able to finish a book all by himself, making him even more of an idol for his peers.

"I don't believe I'm ready to have children. I am not even married yet Gaston," Belle began, worrying about what it would mean for her when had children one day. Would she be expected to give up reading entirely to take care of them? Or would she still be able to read, but only in the guise of teaching her future sons? She had never been particularly against the idea of being married and having children one day, but she wanted so much more adventure before settling down.

"Do you know what happens to spinsters in this village after their fathers die? They beg for scraps, like poor Agathe. This is our world, Belle. For simple folk like us, it doesn't get any better." Gaston tried to be as sensitive as possible when explaining their delicate situation to Belle. He wanted her to understand that she needed someone in her life, not just to be be married off, but to ensure that she lived the way that she deserved – in a nice home, taken care of and surrounded by love.

"What do you suggest then, Gaston? Whom shall I settle down with to provide for me?" Belle stopped in the middle of the road seeing where Gaston was headed with this discussion. She could only assume he would say –

"I could take care of you, Belle. I have changed a lot since we first met. I promise." Belle watched as Gaston declared this to her. She watched for any sense of lies beneath the surface, but she couldn't tell if he was just saying this to have her or if he really did change. People could change, couldn't they? Belle felt confused and a little claustrophobic as she sensed how Gaston was to her now. She could smell the slight hint of his cologne and feel just how tall he really was.

"I'm sorry, Gaston, but I just don't deserve you!" Belle said, trying not to hurt his feelings. She struggled to resolve her confused feelings towards the man that she adamantly swore off being in any form of a relationship with and immediately rushed the ten feet back inside her home. Gaston gaped with his mouth open, still holding her basket of laundry. He waited for a few minutes to see if she would come out again to reclaim her property, but she never did. He set it on top of the stairs to her front door, plucking a rose and placing it on top of the clothes. It was the closest to an apology he could manage right now.

As Gaston trotted back home on his horse, he never realized that Belle was watching the entire thing, struggling with her feelings. Should she be angry at him for insinuating that they could get married or should she be angry at herself for treating him as such when his tone was never angry? She slid down against the door and began to think about all the day's events. What would her father say?


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again! I'd like to thank everyone who had posted a review on the last chapter, you keep the motivation high to continue this story! Some of you all have already guessed the direction I am taking the story but I promise there will be more twists and turns than you ever thought of! Please keep the advice and suggestions flowing because I am open to incorporating different ideas in the story! A big thank you to Bride of Thranduil again for being my beta!

Your obedient servant,

PhantomsAngel1870

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After the morning's trying events, Belle decided to clear her mind with a walk through the meadows. As Belle climbed the rolling hills that stood as strong as the heroines in her books, she thought of her life in Villeneuve.

"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell. And for once it might be grand to have someone understand. I want so much more than they've got planned." For a moment Belle took in the beauty and unpredictability of the forest that lay beyond her. She yearned for the adventures that the thick trees could bring her and beyond everything else she desired to see what was outside of the provincial life she had always known.

She remembered moving from city to city with her father all throughout France, ultimately stopping in Villeneuve only a few years ago. The small, safe town agreed with her father and he believed it was exactly what they both needed. Belle knew that all her father ever did was try to keep her safe and for that she was eternally grateful. However, she needed him to understand that the life of a wife who cooks and cleans all day wasn't not for her. She felt like she would be committed to the insane asylum if she was forced to settle down into that lifestyle, but where could she get adventure in this small town?

Thinking of their previous conversation, Belle knew that Gaston was always going into the woods to hunt game. He went through the entire forest sometimes when he was tracking an animal and he knew exactly where to hunt when a particular animal was in demand. Maybe if she asked kindly enough they could ride into the forest one afternoon and she could see more outside the village than she had before.

As Belle headed back home to begin her evening chores, she thought about the best way to put her request to Gaston. Climbing up and down the hills once more, she was entranced by the natural beauty that adorned her private, perfect landscape. Surprised by how quickly she had reached her home, she began throwing out some feed for the chickens in the front yard and then sifted some of the soil in the garden. She began brushing the dirt off her hands when she heard a horse whinny in the background. Turning to face the source of the sound, Belle saw Phillipe rushing towards her and at once felt excited to see him.

However, excitement turned to dread as she realized that her father was not with him. She ran towards the horse and immediately calmed down her loyal companion.

"Phillippe! What happened? Where's Papa? Take me to him!" As soon as he was steady, Belle didn't waste any time climbing onto the horses back. Something was obviously wrong if Phillippe had returned by himself –with no cart and her father not in sight. What could have happened to him? Where could he be? She was determined to find him and bring him home, no matter what.

Philippe raced through the meadow where she had been standing earlier while she wished for adventure. He immediately aimed for the deep woods at the edge of Villeneuve. Belle took a deep, shaky breath. This was the farthest from home she had been in years and the knowledge both excited and scared her. She was certainly getting her wish.

As they went deeper into the forest, Phillippe didn't stop for long, only taking a minute at the fork in the woods to decide which path was the correct one. Belle began noticing that the calm June heat began to grow colder and soon she was able to watch her own breath leave her mouth.

"It's okay Belle, it's just a bit of snow – in June," Belle muttered to herself as she drew wary at the odd change in weather around her. She had never read in any of her books that this type of weather change was possible in the climate where she lived, although she had never ventured this far into the woods before.

As they trekked on, Belle began to wonder if they were lost. She didn't know whether to be happy or not when they came across their cart. It had been broken to pieces. Irreparably broken music boxes littered the ground. Belle jumped off of Phillippe to assess the damage. She looked down at the tiny portrait of her mother and felt a determination grow within her as she removed the dirt from it with her thumb. Kissing the image of her mother, Belle vowed to her that she would find Papa and return him safely home.

Jumping back onto Phillippe's strong back, she continued her journey and resolved to be a little more thankful for the small quiet town she called home. Belle was starting to question Phillipe's sense of direction when he finally stopped and whimpered. She looked up in front of her and gasped as she saw a large castle like she had imagined in her fairy tales. The exterior was dark and menacing and Belle knew that kindness had not touched the large home in many years. She climbed off Phillippe and lead him closer towards the entrance when she spotted the only living thing within its walls – a rose bush.

Walking towards the bush, she was astounded by how such beautiful creations were surviving in such a horrid place. Reaching up, she pulled one from its roots and instantly heard a roar and turned around to face a monster that stood larger than Goliath.

Belle felt her balance begin to fail and she fell to the ground as her vision faded to black. The last thing she saw was the largest creature she had ever imagined in her life reaching down towards her.

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This opens up the next chapter which I promise will be full of adventure! If you enjoyed it let me know!


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you again to everyone that is currently reading my story! I have enjoyed reading all of the reviews that are posted! I promise you all, do not fear for Gaston's character! I plan on good things for he and Belle in the near future - but for now if you have any questions feel free to post them in a review or PM and I will make sure all your worries are settled!

Your obedient servant,

PhantomsAngel1870

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Belle opened her eyes slowly and began to look around at her new environment. All around her were dirty grey stones creating the floor, walls, and ceiling of the room she now resided in – except for the large gaping hole in the wall across from her. To her left were large, thick, tall, iron bars that created a door to keep her locked in making Belle feel more like an animal than a human being. Putting her face in her cupped hands Belle became angry with herself, to the point of crying, for not keeping her promise to her mother to rescue her father. She had no idea where she currently was now, and now she did not know how to get out, let alone locate her father to bring him back home.

After a few minutes of releasing her pent up frustrations from initially discovering her father was missing, and the entirety of her journey, Belle knew that she would not get far by feeling sorry for herself and not trying to fix the mistakes that have occurred. She stood up and began looking at every little crack in this cell-like room. She brushed her fingers across every groove and crevice, looking to see if there was anything she could find to use to help her escape. The floor was covered in sparse strands of hay with a small stool in the corner. Belle began to inspect the stool is see if there were any nails that she could use, however, there were none to be found.

Continuing her careful investigation of the room she was imprisoned in, Belle finally reached the cell door and inspected the lock that kept her inside. The lock itself was large and sturdy, however, the keyhole was much smaller compared to the entirety of the lock. Belle guessed that the key itself was as tiny as a pin and looked around to the best of her ability outside of her cell and saw a walkway that stood alongside a large drop. Remembering the hole in the wall across the room from her, Belle went and looked outside of it to see how far the drop went. Peering her head out towards the ground she guessed about seventy-five to one hundred feet – much too long of a drop for anyone to survive, especially since the ground was made of stone as well.

Belle nodded to herself, she knew that despite the little she has discovered she knew that she was making progress on her escape from this place. Mentally crossing off the idea of jumping from the room's hole, she began searching again for something to use to pick the lock. She reminded herself that the key itself would be extremely thin and immediately went to the ground to try using the hay that laid there, however, the humidity of the room made the hay virtually useless due to not being resilient against the iron lock. Trying once more before giving up on that particular endeavor, Belle accidentally slid her hand against the lock's edge and sliced her hand open. Softly cursing under her breath, Belle immediately ripped a piece of her apron off and wrapped it around her palm to reduce the bleeding.

"Belle?" The raspy voice called from outside Belle's view from her cell. She immediately jumped up and looked for the source of the voice, she had kept part of her promise and found her father.

"Papa? Where are you? What is this place?" Belle cried out for her father, she needed to locate him now and draw up a plan before their captor heard their voices and made the idea of escaping even more challenging than it was now.

"Belle! How did you find me? I'm locked away in a cell, the monster who owns this castle put me away just as I was leaving to return to you. I'm sorry I never made it back home Belle, forgive me if I caused you any worry or distress," Maurice tried to soothe his daughter. He knew that Belle would not have just sat at their home and waited for his return should she have any reason to believe that something went wrong on his journey home, he was proud to be her father – nonetheless, he prays to the Lord that watches over them and his wife that his Belle makes it out of this hell-like place before she becomes hopeless.

"Who is the monster that did this to you Papa? I came to get you, when you didn't come home on Philippe I knew something was wrong, I couldn't just leave you wherever you were left behind," Belle began searching around her more frantically, trying to find their salvation and to keep her father talking to her. His voice reminded her that he was alive, and due to the raspy, pressing, way he was speaking Belle knew that her father was far worse off than she was – his cold wet coughs only serving to further prove her point.

Feeling entirely stupid for not thinking of it before, Belle reached up in her hair and pulled out a pin that held her bun in place. Feeling the rest of her hair fall down and frame her face even more, she quickly shoved her hair inside her dress so it did not fall into her eyesight as she pulled the lock up and begin working on picking it with her pin. After a few failed attempts Belle finally managed to free herself from her cage and called out to her father once more.

"Papa I need you to help me and talk to me so I can find you," Belle spoke in a loud whisper watching all her surroundings to make sure that she was not seen by their captor.

"I'm here Belle! I'm very much displeased with the decorations and lack thereof any refreshments, honestly this monster really doesn't have many guests over anymore I'm guessing also based on the lack of any life at all in this castle besides the three of –" Maurice turned around as saw his daughter standing before him smiling at her father. Belle always loved how her father could look past the terrible exterior of a situation and find even a small amount of humor in such a dark time.

"How did you manage to get in so fast?" Maurice asked his daughter, Belle immediately laughed and ran into her father's arms and stood there for a moment breathing in the familiar smell of safety and home.

"I had an amazing teacher, that's how Papa," Belle said as she grabbed her father's hand to start leading them out of this dark, dreary, prison. As soon as their hands made contact Belle looked down at her father's and immediately wrapped it around both of hers.

"Your hands are ice, we need to get you home" Belle stated just as they both heard a loud roar encompass the entire room. Belle began looking around for the source of the sound, feeling her heart beat terribly loud in her chest – so loud that she was sure that her heart alone would give away their location.

Belle immediately began opening a random cell door to get them both inside to hide them from whomever was stalking their every move in the dark. She would rather have a door between them than the dangers of their freedom in this moment.

Being as silent as the warmth and joy in the castle, Belle listened for any sound of life outside of their cell. As she approached the bars closer she looked out in the hallway and screamed as she saw the monster standing so close to the edge of the doorway in the shadows, making sure he could see them but they couldn't see him at first. Belle tried to see them better, but to no avail.

"Who's there?" Belle asked timidly.

"Who are you?" The almost man-like voice spoke directly to her. Belle would have been lying if she had said that it didn't surprise her when she heard the monster speaking to her as clearly as any man in the village, like Gaston.

"Who are you?" The voice in the shadows mocked her. Belle was not ready to play any childish games today, not when her and her father's lives were at stake.

"I've come for my father!" Belle stated as she motioned towards her father who was sitting on a stool in the middle of a coughing fit. For a moment Belle wanted to lean down and help him, but she knew that she had to deal with this monstrous thing at the moment.

"Your father is a thief." The creature before her accused.

"Liar!" Belle retaliated back. She knew good and well that her father was not capable of harming anyone physically or stealing any of their property. It was against his moral codes, something he had taught Belle as soon as she began to talk at a very young age.

"He stole a rose," the creature said, venom leaking out of each word he spoke now. It was obvious to Belle that this thing truly believed that her father was as guilty as a person committing murder, shocking her to her bones that such things were being said.

"I asked for the rose. Punish me, not him!" Belle demanded to the entity that was denying both of them freedom now. She needed to keep the promise to her mother and make sure that her father returned safely home. She was sure that she would get out of this place, but she needed her father home first.

"No Belle! He means forever. Apparently, that's what happens around here when you a pick a flower." Maurice sarcastically retorted towards Belle as he explained the severity of the consequences for amputating a rose from its bush.

"A life sentence for a rose?" Belle was confused as to what she was hearing, could someone really do such an injustice?

"I received eternal damnation for one. I'm merely locking him away so you should be thanking me from the ground you're standing on for being so generous towards the thief you are meekly trying to shield before me now because the sentence could have been much worse. Now, do you still wish to take your father's place?" The beast gave the girl before him an ultimatum. He didn't want anything to do with the girl, she was nothing to him. His salvation was lost a year ago, he had no reason to try anymore because any attempts and prayers were useless at this point.

Before Belle could tell the beast before her that she would gladly take her father's place she was immediately grabbed by the arm by the very creature before her and thrown in the cell adjacent towards her father's, locked inside the cold dark walls once more.

"Why didn't you let her go you beast?!" Maurice yelled at the creature before him. Maurice was fuming, his daughter was supposed to go back home, be safe and secure. He would have gladly given his life to make sure that his daughter was able to life out her life full of happiness and have the rest of her days in the sun. But this vile creature before them was making sure that his daughter was die in the darkness.

"Like father, like child," was all the beast replied and left the entire dungeon.

Belle fell the ground distressed that everything that she had worked for had gone to waste. It seemed to her that there was no way of escape now, and she was sure that nobody would ever find them in the village – or even want to try to find them. That's when she began thinking of Gaston.

Belle knew that Gaston has tried courting her in the past, she was just never ready for such a new type of relationship. No matter how many times she denied his advances, he was always there the next day by her side. At first it annoyed her to great lengths that the man could not take no for an answer. But after some time she began to realize that she was grateful for moments he did intervene on her behalf. The villagers never listened to her, being that she was an outsider, and despite the few years that she had lived her they still cannot trust her. Gaston was always ready to jump to her aide and help deflect any blows that came her way from the villagers. He never asked for anything in return except the invitations for her to go on walks with him or go look at his war trophies in the tavern. Each and every time she successfully denied him, and each and every time he came back to ask again.

Belle knew that he would go and look for her when he realized she was missing. She knew that he would be the most successful out of anyone in the village, however, she was sure he was no match for the extremely large beast she saw only moments ago. Nobody who took on that beast would live to see the die, in that moment Belle knew it was a suicide mission to try to free herself again. She began looking out the doorway wondering what she could do as she awaited her fate when the door began opening slowly.

Carefully walking outside, Belle saw a man smiling widely at her. She didn't know him yet felt a friendly air around him. Behind the stranger was another man, much older, that looked like he needed to be somewhere very soon by the many times he kept looking at his watch.

"Come mademoiselle, we shall show you to your room!" The first stranger told her with a very strong accent.

"My room? What about my father?" Belle didn't know these men, why would she go with them anywhere in this dreadful castle willingly, especially if she knew that she was leaving her father behind?

"But of course! And your father shall be situated in a room of his own soon enough, as long as the Master says it is ok!" The man tried to brush off the last sentence as quick as possible, already knowing that the girl before him would not be able to relax enough without knowing the future of her father.

"Fine, and thank you…?" Belle wasn't sure what else to say at that moment. If this truly was an opportunity for her and her father to be more comfortable, then she would do anything in that moment to get them out of this cold, dark, death sentence.

"You may call me Lumiere!" The man said ecstatically and kissed Belle's hand as he led her to the room that was promised to her.


	4. Chapter 4

I am so sorry for not updating for a while, life got into the way and nursing school prerequisites are intense! This chapter involves some humor but it is also leading up to some fun stuff in the next chapter! I love any and all feedback my fans give me, it only helps make the story better as it goes along! If anyone can think of anything they'd enjoy to see in the future chapters feel free to PM me and I'll try my best to incorporate it within the story!

Your obedient servant,

PhantomsAngel1870

* * *

Belle followed close to the man she had just met named Lumiere. There was something about his demeanor that ensured Belle that he held no evil within his soul at all, he was just placed in circumstances that most would find not suitable. Glancing around at her surroundings Belle noticed how the walls looked like they were following apart by the minute, wondering why and how they came to be in such a decrepit state. Knowing that the less she asked, the less that she would seem interested in staying in this hell-like prison, therefore Belle did not speak during the entirety of the journey to her new room.

Once they had arrived after many flights of stairs inside and outside the walls of the castle Belle's mouth unwillingly dropped open as she saw the biggest, most beautiful room she's ever seen – as big as her and her father's house in the village. Thinking about her father made Belle realize what she had been wanting to ask the entire way here. Turning around to face Lumiere, she grabbed as much courage as possible to not sound scared or nervous.

"Where will my father's living quarters be?" Belle asked and she eyed Lumiere. Just as the man was about to open his mouth, another man who was more portly and older came and whispered something urgently in Lumiere's ear.

"Are you quite sure Cogsworth?" Lumiere urgently asked the man before him shaking the shoulders of the older man. Both men swiftly glanced towards Belle before continuing their conversation. Belle watched as they continued to argue into front of her within code, she had no idea what was going on but part of her was praying that somehow she and her father were going to get their freedom that they desperately wanted. Maybe the demonic master of this castle decided it wasn't worth the energy trying to keep her and her father here anymore. Was it too much to ask for a man to finally see the light and understand a rose shouldn't hold that much power over a person?

The older man whose name Belle believed was Cogsworth left after a few minutes of countering everything Lumiere was telling him. It seemed that the two men's impasse was resolved and they finally found common ground. No matter what was discussed between the two men Belle hoped with every fiber within her that it worked in her favor for once in her life. Despite every force coming against her recently she wished that for once things could be easier for her to find a way out of her struggle.

"Is everything ok?" Belle found it ironic that it was she that was asking Lumiere, when it was quite obvious it was he that should be asking her that exact question. Despite the proper formalities that were being switched around right now, Belle just need reassurance that everything was going to work out right now. She didn't know how much more bad news she could take at this moment.

"It seems that some plans have changed, and that your father is to be returned home as quickly as the task can be completed" Lumiere tried to find the right words to delicately relay the information to the woman in front of him. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, but he had no solution to wording the new events in a way that wouldn't hurt her at all.

"My father is going back home?" Belle repeated the words, more for herself and began trying to understand how this came to be. Why was that creature returning her father but not herself? What did he need with her? Belle's eyes grew wide when the possibilities of what an obviously male monster would want to do with a girl her age. She wanted to scream and run out the doors as soon as she realized this but she knew that she couldn't react that way. Belle knew that the man by her in that room, Lumiere, worked for that monster and she did not know if Lumiere was willing to do anything that his boss asked of him. Asking Lumiere for any help that this moment was definitely out of the question because Belle was unsure if Lumiere would be relaying all of this to that man later on today. Belle knew that she needed to act smart and watch everything she did from here on out to make sure that the plan she was beginning to write out in her mind would not be discovered.

"Oui mademoiselle, but consider me at your service. The castle is your home now so feel free to go anywhere you like," Lumiere conceded to inform Belle. He genuinely wanted her to feel at ease – as best as she could at least – with the circumstances she was facing currently. Cogsworth was returning now he saw, which meant that the girl's father was most likely on his way back to the village now and moved towards his friend as he was finishing his statement to Belle, Cogsworth nodding approval.

"I can go anywhere? This castle looks like it could come down at any moment in the state it is in right now, isn't it dangerous?" Belle was confused as to why they would want her to unintentionally harm herself if one of the walls came down during some of her explorations.

"You will not be in any danger as long as you don't go to the west wing," Lumiere stated with a smile that soon turned into horror when he realized that he said something he probably was not supposed to say. This was only proven when Cogsworth gripped his arm hard in their own secret way of calling each other an idiot when the occasion occurred.

"Which we do not have," Cogsworth weakly tried to stop the train wreck that Lumiere began, but then at this point in their relationship. Cogsworth shouldn't be surprised anymore of the slip ups that Lumiere causes every now and then – basically every day.

"Why? What is in the West Wing?" Belle was immediately curious. Though it was not as grand as a library, it seemed that this wing could sate her curiosity for now. There has to be something new for her to do, something exciting within that room if it was so obviously wanted off limits.

"Oh nothing"

"Nothing at all"

"Storage space"

"Storage space"

"That's it"

Lumiere and Cogsworth bounced off each other's reply until they felt it was clear that there was nothing important in the West Wing. Nothing that the girl in front of them needed to be worried about right now, or ever.

"Outside your bedroom if you continue to the left you will be in the entirety of the East Wing mademoiselle," Cogsworth stated as he led Belle to the door and showed her the left side of the hallway.

"Or as I like to call it, the only wing!" Lumiere stated as he and Cogsworth led Belle back into her main bedroom. Soon enough their friend passed by the opened door with fabrics upon fabrics loaded into her arms heading down to a room at the far end of the East Wing. Lumiere ran to the open doorway and yelled out to his friend.

"Stay with us, Madame. We have someone for you to dress!" The woman immediately turned around and began following Lumiere back to the room expecting that one of the servants needed a new dress or apron made for them again. The Madame felt like her talents were going to waste because she was always making plain outfits and never for any royalty anymore. She desperately wanted to make a gorgeous over the top dress once again. Madame decided to humor her friend Lumiere and glanced at the person he had brought for her to dress. To Madame's surprise it was a beautiful young woman standing in front of her. Not caring about the trivial things in her hands that needed to be completed today she immediately ran towards the girl.

Belle saw the exchange between Lumiere and the woman, not entirely sure what Lumiere had planned up his sleeve. But as she saw the woman come running towards her Belle quickly looked around for anything that could be used to keep her safe from the oncoming madwoman. The woman instantly began lifting Belle's skirts and looking at every aspect of her. Belle did not care much for another woman criticizing her dress, she was quite used to that happening to her in the village every morning when she went into town for various things that she and her father needed. The woman had taken Belle's measurements against her will and all Belle could do was sit down and wait for all the strangers around her to leave her room after what felt like hours, expecting a new dress within a few days. No matter what was given to her Belle knew that she could not possibly give up the dress she currently wore, it was the only thing to remind her of home.

Thinking about home reminded her of her father, their house, and even the village. Her mind drifted to every face and voice she missed hearing, though the list was quite small. Thinking back on the events that led her here, Belle wondered how Gaston was taking it that she was not there for him to constantly try to woo, that he was left to the triplets to gain attention from. Even Belle knew that Gaston did not fancy those three girls, she had seen his disgusted face every now and then when they would cry out to him as he had made his way into the town. Though he was much more charismatic, cocky and stubborn than any other man in the village, Belle felt a pull towards his attention. Yet she constantly wondered if it was because he demanded her attention or if she was giving her attention to him willingly – she might never know. What Belle did know though was that even at that moment she would have been thankful to have even Gaston with her, she knew that he was an amazing hunter and he would have been able to find a way out of any mess, though she was never going to actually tell him that – his ego was bursting at the seams already, no need to push that any farther.

If her father was home by this point Belle knew that he would be enlisting any help possible to come and try to retrieve her despite her pleas to not return for her. Maurice would make sure that his daughter would come back home safe, it was his sworn duty as her father. The captain was most definitely going to participate in the hunting party if it meant that Belle was the one that needed help, she appreciated that he would always be there to help her despite how many times she had insulted him or denied him any affection.

Looking out her window at the far end of the room Belle gazed down to the ground and saw that she was looking at least a twenty foot drop. Looking around for any assistance Belle saw that large pile of fabrics that the Madame had dropped on the ground after being in shock at seeing her. Belle immediately began separating and counting, measuring, and tying together all the fabric creating a thirty-five-foot sturdy rope. She through the long line to freedom outside the window and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw some of the makeshift rope pile together at the bottom on the ground. She had made slightly more than enough to get her to safety. As she looked down outside Belle prayed and made a promise to herself that if she comes face to face with Gaston again that she would not judge a book by its cover and give him a fair chance this time around. With a leap of faith Belle began climbing down towards her freedom.

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I'm so excited that Belle is beginning to see more of her feelings for Gaston. I understand that they haven't had much interaction together YET but Belle is a very headstrong girl so I believe that she must come to the conclusion herself before she would allow anything to occur between the two of them. Thank you again for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Hello readers! I once again want to apologize for leaving the story off for a while. My semester in college has definitely seen better days! With everything happening right now, including planning my wedding (that does indeed have beauty and the beast and phantom of the opera in it) and getting into nursing school, the story was neglected. However, I will not do that again to Belle and Gaston!

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Belle scaled down the tower from which her bedroom was and after a few minutes she finally felt solid ground beneath her. Tugging on the rope a certain way, Belle soon had the entirety of it falling down into one big heap before her. She quickly picked it all up and threw it into a nearby ditch and then began to kick the dirt around where she landed so all her footprints were gone – it would be like she was never even there.

Once Belle was satisfied with her work she ran towards the stables, making sure she stayed close to the castle's walls and under the shade of trees so it would be less likely that she would be caught breaking her oath. Once she was finally in the confines of the stable house Belle made sure that Phillipe had a warm saddle blanket and everything was set correctly before she jumped on him and they raced off towards the gates. Belle refused to look back at her prison as the cold wind hit her face so hard that she began to lose feeling. Pushing Phillipe to go as fast as the older horse could to the gates that guarded the dark castle, Belle heard the most disturbing and darkest roar that shook the ground and her inner core. Finally gaining the courage to look behind her, Belle saw the monstrous beast chasing her and quickly gaining speed. Belle cried out from terror as she realized that her chances of freedom were slowly beginning to slip away from her and she soon began to pray to the Lord above that divine intervention will come through and ensure that she can return home to her father. A father she desperately needs right now.

Hearing the roar get closer, Belle dared not look back in case that only slowed her down. The gates were nearly less than a hundred feet in front of her and she whipped the reins harder to push Phillipe the hardest he's ever been before in his life. The horse obeyed dutifully, even he knew that there was something dangerous happening and he wanted to get away from it as quickly as possible. The two escapees soon reached the gate and only after passing the dark gated beams did Belle look back at her prison guard. The Beast had stopped his pursuit completely, frustratingly standing on the other side of the castle. It almost seemed like he couldn't move outside the gate.

Feeling no threat now that the Beast couldn't touch her, Belle jumped off the horse and walked towards the large monster before her. Glaring at him Belle challenged him to say something first but he never did.

"You cannot and will not _ever_ claim me as yours," Belle began speaking with the coldest, iciest voice that she could muster. The Beast, in return, glared back at the woman in front of him. Soon, however, Belle noticed that the Beast began smiling at her in the most sinister mocking way that she thought was possible. The creature, monster, Beast, looked like he had something up his sleeve that Belle was unaware of and in that moment she suddenly felt as small as a mouse the way that the monster straightened his posture and was soon nearly ten feet tall. Belle continued to wait to see what he had to say so that she could immediately call him out on his bluff. He held no power over her anymore, and she refused to fall victim to any of his schemes ever again.

"I do not need to claim you anymore now that I have your father still locked in my prison. You useless women and your petty emotions have only proved me to thus that you will return on your own to come and rescue the person you love. When you walk through the gates the next time, you will never be able to return. Then you will be my prisoner, my slave, for the rest of your life. That I can promise you." The Beast gripped the bars of the iron gate as strong as he could, trying his best to get as close to the girl as possible. He knew that he had the upper hand, and even though he lost this last battle he _will_ win the war.

"Liar!" Belle screamed at him, tears nearly escaped her eyes as she took in everything the creature before her was saying. Her father was not locked up inside still, and she knew this because Lumiere had told her that they had returned her father safely back to their home. Lumiere had no reason to lie to her if he had truly wanted her to be as comfortable as possible while spending the rest of her life inside the castle as a prisoner alongside everyone else.

"You are a stupid little girl if you continue to believe everything tells you at face value, my dear," the Beast mocked Belle as he watched her fall apart before him. If he was lucky, she might just run back inside now to see the truth for herself. He was one to always play dirty to get the things that he wanted, why let a curse stop him from getting the things he so desperately desired?

Belle pondered everything that the Beast told her and after considering it all, she refused to believe any more of the lies that came from his mouth. She knew that he was lying just by looking at the Beast's cold, dark, emotionless eyes. No one with a heart could say the things he did just then, and no one without a heart can speak the whole truth. Satisfied with her concluded thoughts and determination, Belle jumped back on Phillipe and raced home immediately to make sure that her father had the company, love, and proper care that he needed to heal physically and mentally from these most recent events.

On the way back to the village in the forest Belle found various herbs that would help her and her father through this ordeal to calm them down and help them relax. With the different herbs collected Belle remembered how, in a book she borrowed from Agatha, she could use the various flora to create teas, salves, and wraps that will naturally help the body heal. With all the strange events that have occurred lately, Belle was sure that having something natural would be the most welcoming sight for her and Maurice.

After what felt like hours on the journey back home, Belle began to see glimpses of life beyond the trees before her. Invigorated with a new urgency to reach home again, Belle pushed Phillipe's trot and soon she felt like she was flying at the speed he was going. The lights grew brighter and if she listened hard enough she could have sworn in that moment that she heard the laughter and singing of merry villagers near the pub that Gaston owned. As Belle's heart began to beat faster she was finally outside of the forest's grasp and the stale cold air surrounded her as she saw her village before her eyes. Never believing that the day would come that she would be so grateful to be here, Belle and Phillipe both were too excited to return back home. The much shorter distance felt like miles with the mixture of happiness and dread creeped inside Belle's mind with both the excitement to see her father and the fear that the Beast was not bluffing.

Reaching the stable for Phillipe, Belle made sure to carefully remove everything from him and give him ample amount of hay and oats for being so strong and brave throughout their expedition tonight. After Phillipe was saw to Belle ran to the doors to her home and opened them.

Her face dropped as she saw that none of the lights were on, however, with it being close to the end of dinner she expected that her father was probably in bed already exhausted from everything that he had gone through. Belle daintily walked towards her father's room and peeked inside to find he was not in his bed. Running to the bathroom she saw that it too was empty. Her heart began to race faster and tears formed in her eyes threatening to overcome her composure. Belle knew in that moment that her father was not here and that the Beast did not bluff. She was once again, and even more so, completely alone.

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I hope you enjoyed the twists in this chapter as much as I did writing it! I keep putting off Belle & Gaston's reunion but I promise it will be spectacular!


	6. Chapter 6

Oh my goodness! I honestly didn't think that my story would take the paths it has so far! But I am so glad about how it's worked out so far! This was by far the hardest chapter I've written because I have seen that some people were wondering why Lumiere had told Belle that Maurice was released from the castle when it was quite obvious that he wasn't. I hope this chapter answers any questions!

Your obedient servant,

PhantomsAngel1870

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The Master had promised Lumiere that the man would be free, so why hasn't the Master authorized the release of the poor man yet? Lumiere wondered to himself as his mind wondered deep to why exactly these two people in the castle were facing the most wrath from the Master that Lumiere has ever witnessed.

Lumiere began pacing in front of the bedroom which held Maurice, the older man had been banging on the walls demanding his freedom that his daughter was informed about earlier – something he himself has not seen yet. Lumiere began to grow restless about what he should do next. Of course he hated lying to the girl about her father's situation but he had no alternative – the master of the castle would have forced him outside the gate, and that is a situation that no servant in the castle wants to have. The master himself told his servants that if they defied any of his orders then he would cast them outside the castle walls which in turn would speed their aging process so quickly that they would die within minutes of being "free". 'All freedoms come with a price, you decide if that price is worth paying' the master had concluded many months ago to his small group of servants. Everyone unanimously agreed that their days in the sun were spent well a long time ago, now they needed to focus on each other.

Lumiere then went downstairs to find his confidant Cogsworth muttering about many different things that needed to be finished by the day's end and talking to a few servants to ensure that those demands were met. By the time Lumiere got to him all the people around Cogsworth were gone fulfilling the requirements of today.

"Cogsworth my good man, where is the girl at?" Lumiere casted his gaze around the main hall, wondering in which corridor the girl was wondering about.

"Have you not heard Lumiere? She sneaked out of the room she was in and escaped! Even the Master himself couldn't catch her in time and now we have to clean up the mess he made before he gets back from the forest tonight," Cogsworth exhaled deeply. He should have stayed in the room with the girl and none of this would have happened. The Master's anger about this new dent in his perfect plan had angered him so much that he actually slashed Cogsworth's arm open. Luckily for him, the Madame had excellent stitch work and she was able to sew up the gash long before Cogsworth was in danger.

"But mon ami! That tower was many feet off the ground, how could she have gotten out without killing herself?!" Lumiere was impressed and stunned at the skillfulness of the girl that once temporarily lived within the castle. If only she had come sooner, Lumiere was confident that she could have been the one to break the spell over the Master.

"That would be my fault," the Madame came into the room sighing deeply. "In my excitement of having someone new to dress, let alone a new girl, I had dropped all my linen on the ground in her room and accidentally left it there without realizing. By the time I had returned to the girl's room both my linen and the girl were gone. I ran from the room and saw the Master first, letting him know what had happened and that's when he left to try to bring her back." Madame looked terrible after revealing what events had occurred. She never thought that someone would be able to use cloths in that fashion before.

Giving Madame a hug in reassurance Lumiere set off to find the Master, wanting to know answers to why the man in the castle has not been released yet and what they were expected to do now. As he climbed the stairs to the West Wing, Lumiere began to grow restless because deep within him he already knew that this was not going to be a pleasant visit with the Master.

Belle drifted in her house walking in circles through every room, not knowing what to do for the first time in her life. Even the chance of escaping this torment through reading a book did not appeal to her in the slightest. She had cleaned everything from top to bottom already and forced herself to eat, knowing it would do no good in to the situation if she starved herself. But no matter what she did, she constantly felt a foreboding feeling deep inside her that something was not right with her father's situation. She could not place her finger on it but no matter how much she tried to appease herself she could not stop thinking that he desperately needed her help. Wondering about her father's workshop the feeling only increased more as she realized that he should have returned by now, had that Beast kept his promise.

Try as she might, Belle knew that rest would not come to her tonight and she needed to act now if she wanted to save her father from the wrath of the Beast. Searching for anything that could help her save her father she found his pistol in the side drawer and grabbed a handful of bullets to make sure she didn't run out either. Grabbing her cloak she ran back outside to Phillipe and jumped on his back letting him that know that they would get Papa back one way or another. Phillipe seemed a little hesitant at first but with a few more encouraging words from Belle he brought up his speed and they raced off together to find their loving father.

As they reached the village, Belle slowed Phillipe down so that no suspicion would arise from their haste. Not saying a word, Belle glanced around at all the houses and eventually crossed paths with the tavern that Gaston owned. As she looked through the window she saw Gaston sullenly looking into the fire that was strongly glowing, Belle knew that he was upset about something though she could not figure out what had upset him.

For a split second she yearned to go in and comfort the man, perhaps the time in the army had creeped in his mind again – Belle had read about post-traumatic stress disorder and knew that it could poison the mind if it festered too long without any outside help. But before she thought again on the matter she had Phillipe continue trotting along. One last glance into the tavern showed Belle that Le Fou was trying to cheer up Gaston, and she was content that he had someone there for him at the moment as she was for her own father.

Once more Belle reached the outskirts of the forest that she had once told herself that she would never step foot in again, alas that was before she discovered that her father was still in the clutches of the Beast. Fired with new determination at the thought of her father within the claws of the Beast, Belle pushed Phillipe to run as fast as he could into the forest to rescue the beloved man. Too soon, Belle was already deep into the woods, and at this point in the evening everything looked the same and she soon became as lost as ever before.

Looking around for a familiar landmark to show her that she was still on the correct path, Belle's heartrate and breathing began to increase exponentially as she realized that everything grew to look the same at night. In that moment Belle tried to remember anything she could have learned through the books she read to help her find her way again, but as nothing came to mind she realized that this is more of a hunter's job and if she only had the courage to have walked in to the tavern she could have enlisted Gaston to accompany her.

Nevertheless, Belle knew that crying about the situation she was in would not do her any good and so she pushed onwards despite not knowing if the direction she was traveling in was the correct way or not. Feeling a cooler breeze hit her face she pulled the clock tighter around her as an involuntary shiver coursed through her body. This gave her hope for she remembered how it was snowing right before she arrived to the castle gates – they were getting closer.

Within a few minutes of treading on Belle saw the first sign of snow and pushed Phillipe to go a little faster, hoping that saving these extra few moments could be what saves her father from the wrath of the castle itself. As soon as Phillipe stepped on the snow, Belle heard an ominous howl in the night. This howl was unlike the Beast's but she knew exactly what made the sound from hearing them countless times trying to creep into their village at night to raid and steal whatever they could find – wolves.

Quickly checking all angles Belle could not see any of the feral, evil, dogs that kept howling all around her. As her anxiety rose within the situation so did Phillipe's and he began to whiny a little more each growing minute. Clutching the pistol tightly Belle kept turning around in circles trying to locate the wolves as they were obviously encircling her, beginning their deadly waltz.

Eventually the wolves began to come out of hiding and when the first one appeared, obviously the runt of the group Belle pointed her gun at the creature and shot without a second thought. Normally she was entirely against using a gun, preferring to read about it instead, however, this situation called for action and when the first wolf dropped it was action that she gave.

Several more wolves came out at the same time in the second round of the fight for Belle's life. Standing on opposite sides from each other Belle watched the two wolves descend towards her, stalking her as she reloaded the pistol never taking her eyes off the wolves. Pointing the gun to the wolf on her right she shot the wolf point blank and then as she began to refill the gun once more the other wolf on her left pounced at her. Phillipe bucked his front legs up to block the wolf from getting to Belle, but the action threw Belle off the saddle and into the snow. Seeing this new change of tides, the wolves all at once began creeping down towards Belle and Phillipe's death pit, all of them ready to make the killing strike.

Grabbing a nearby fallen limb Belle held it with both of her hands like she did with the axe back at home ready to swing given the opportunity, leaving the gun in the saddle bag on Phillipe. As one wolf lunged towards her and her horse, Belle swung at the creature causing him to cry out in pain and limp away with a broken leg. As another wolf lunged towards Phillipe Belle ended up breaking the wolf's jaw but as she did so, the leader jumped and latched onto her arm. Screaming from pure agony Belle did her best to get remove the wolf's grip, however, any time she tugged her arm the tension increased and only caused her more pain.

Fearing that this was the end, Belle's adrenaline increased and she attempted to find the gun that she had left with Phillipe only to see her horse running off. Closing her eyes to the acceptance that her fate was decided in that moment, Belle was ready for the end when she heard a loud gunshot. Expecting to feel any additional pain Belle was surprised when the wolf that held her arm dropped next to her. The mixture of adrenaline and anxiety had increased her blood pressure for the past ten minutes that the wolf had her arm and now that there was nothing binding the gashes and teeth bites Belle was losing blood faster than before. Looking up to where the gunshot was produced Belle saw a familiar man in a red coat running towards her yelling, "Belle! No, this shouldn't have happened! Where have you been? Why are you out here alone?"

Her vision began to grow blurry but she was still conscious enough to feel the warm of his chest when he picked up her, the musky scent of his cologne the deep rumble his voice made when he said her name, and the amount of comfort she felt when the man kissed her forehead. In that moment Belle felt safe, and as she pushed herself against the source of warmth and comfort the last words she could mutter to her savior were, "thank you" before her vision blacked out.

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Oh my goodness! I am sure this is probably not the reunion you were thinking of but my god that was a great cliff hanger right there! Please don't be mad at me!


	7. Chapter 7

This has been the most fun chapter to write yet! I hope this is the reunion you had all imagined, I can't wait to see how this develops next!

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Gaston held onto Belle's unconscious body as he rode to return to the village. He looked down at the woman laying against him, and knew in that moment that he would do anything to protect her. Feeling her get closer to him only made that determination stronger. As the winds began to pick up he wrapped his cloak around her body to keep the warmth around her – propriety can go to hell in that moment. As a content sigh was released from Belle's lips Gaston nodded to himself knowing that he made the right decision. Now, the only thing he was uncertain about was why she was out here at dark to begin with. It was quite unusual for even a skilled hunter such as himself to roam the woods at night, but to have Belle out here? Something was not adding up.

He thought back to those wolves he saw about to kill her, and he remembered the ripping sensation in his heart as he saw the leader clench onto her arm and begin shaking it like a toy. The way Belle screamed at the pain was enough to drive him insane with fury that these animals were hurting her, and that was when he knew that she needed help. After all the wolves had either been shot or scattered away in fear, nothing could have prepared Gaston for the amount of blood he saw surround Belle's arm. Nothing scared him more than watching her skin turn even more pale than it already was and that's when he lost control of himself and began screaming and crying, cursing God for allowing this to happen to such a perfect woman.

Nonetheless, Gaston knew he had to act quickly if they wanted to have any chance at saving Belle's life. He immediately picked her up and raced to his horse telling all the men that came with him to ride ahead and prepare his bedroom for their ailed victim. Gaston knew how improper it was to have this woman in his bedroom since she was not his wife, nor were they even officially courting. Even more so, her father Maurice knew nothing about this and that made the situation even more improper.

In that moment Gaston's trail of mind stopped instantly. He had not seen the old man in over a week now and normally the inventor would be seen several times in the market trying to haggle on spare parts that others did not need any more so he could try to incorporate them into his inventions. This absence become stranger to Gaston since Belle had been out in the forest at this time of night. If her father were at home Belle would have no need to leave the safety of her house, unless her father was sick but even then she could have easily called upon the doctor. Thinking harder to try to find a reasonable situation for why Belle would end up in the forest it finally hit him when he remembered overhearing Maurice talking about an upcoming fair that was around last week, Maurice had been talking about how he was positive he would return with more money than before with the new inventions he had up his sleeve.

So, Gaston concluded, perhaps Maurice did not make it back to the village from his fair and Belle became worried. Gaston knew he would be worried too if Belle was gone for a week and he wasn't sure of her safety. This only made him hold her closer to him as he remembered that her safety was in jeopardy right now. Looking down at her, he saw that her cheeks flaming red and had she been awake he would have teased her for having feelings for him. But her limp body made him more concerned and pressing his lips against her forehead his fears only grew when he realized that she was burning with fever.

Seeing that they were reaching the village Gaston pushed his stallion harder than ever, forcing the pair to reach the village and his tavern within minutes. After finally arriving to the tavern, Gaston gingerly wrapped his arms around Belle's body, cradling her close to him, and slid off his horse. Hearing the laughter and singing in the tavern would have normally cheered Gaston to no end, however, in this moment those people singing, dancing, laughing and having a merry time angered him. Why should they be enjoying themselves so much when this woman's life was on the line? Making his way up the few steps he finally reached the front door and kicked it open. All at once the music and singing died away and everyone's eyes were on Gaston as he made his way into the tavern. He didn't even try to look at anyone because in that moment Belle was the only one who had his entire attention.

Finally making it to his room after several moments of unsettling quiet, Gaston gently laid Belle in his prepared turned down bed. He pulled the blankets up to the top of her chest and placed his hand against her forehead. The fever was still burning was concerned Gaston. Moving his fingers down her cheek and pressing them against her neck he felt a strong pulse beneath the skin. Smiling to himself this good news only reminded him how strong this beautiful woman before him was. But he needed to act fast to make her healthy as quickly as possible.

Gaston got up from the bedside and gently closed the door as he went downstairs to the main room. Everyone was still looking at him when he made it to the bar where Tom was cleaning several glasses. Gaston faced everyone once more, commanding the attention off all in attendance tonight.

"You may all leave now, there will be no more loud singing, music or dancing tonight. Tomorrow will be the same as normal but now leave me alone," Everyone around him groaned in disappointment but followed his directions. Gaston thanked the Lord for his high ranking in the army and his status as head hunter in the village. The admiration he had gained definitely had its uses, this occasion was one of them.

LeFou was the only one who had stayed behind, being the good concerned friend he was, LeFou knew that he couldn't leave Gaston alone especially if he needed help at any point. He made his way over to his friend at the bar and cleared his throat to make his presence known without startling the hunter before him.

"Is there anything you need help with Gaston?" LeFou tested the waters with his old friend.

"Yes, I need a bowl of alcohol prepared, a bowl of cool water and any clean cloths you can find. Also, keep everyone out of the tavern for the night unless I tell you they can be here," LeFou nodded at this, taking the orders just as easily as he did while they were in war. LeFou trusted that Gaston knew what he was doing, his friend was headstrong there was no doubt and when he needed help he would make it known.

LeFou prepared this items that Gaston requested and watched his friend walk back into his bedroom, softly closing the door. LeFou shook his head wondering why his friend had to struggle so much to find happiness, and when he had finally found the girl of his dreams she ended up deadly injured. This amount of stress on Gaston never ended well and LeFou hoped for both of their sakes that Belle came out of this back to normal.

Gaston carefully walked towards the bed again, trying not to make any sounds that could potentially disturb Belle. He pulled a candle out from a drawer from his side table and placed it in the candelabra before lighting it. The single flame lit up the entire room in a calm low light. Gaston was able to see the slow steady rise of Belle's chest and for the first time he took a close look at the gash along her arm. There were several long gashes on both sides of her arm from the beast clamping down and shaking for as long as he did. Taking a closer look it seemed that the bleeding had significantly stopped, and was now going at a much slower pace than before. Unfortunately, Gaston could not tell if there were any signs of infection yet until they gave the wounds more time to heal. The door opened behind him and for a split second Gaston felt the need to grab his gun and protect Belle from the intruder when he remembered that LeFou was helping him tonight. Leaving his pistol in his inner pocket in his red jacket Gaston turned around and thanked his old friend for helping him during a crucial time once again. Simply nodding towards Gaston LeFou made his leave and went to the main room once more guarding the tavern from any unwanted visitors.

Placing everything on the side table Gaston went to work to heal Belle back to her normal self. Beginning with the water, Gaston took a spoon dipping it into the bowl and brought the spoonful of water to Belle's mouth. Pushing the corners of her lips in, he slowly poured the water into the small opening to keep her hydrated. Waiting for something to happen Gaston watched Belle for a few seconds and when nothing changed he gave her more water. After repeating this process for five more times he finally got what he wanted when he heard her begin coughing up some of the water she had swallowed. Given this que, Gaston took a cloth and soaked it in the water before placing it on her head to cool down the fever. At this, Belle groaned at the extreme cold. Gaston hated to put her in unease but he needed to do this for now. Whispering his apologies once more Gaston continued his tasks to make Belle conscious again. As the process continued on for another hour Gaston went to scoop more water into the spoon when he realized that there was no more water left in the bowl. Looking from the bowl to Belle he realized that he had to leave her for a few moments to refill the bowl once more. Determined to make it a quick process he rushed to the main room to refill the container and saw LeFou still dutifully watching the door. Pleased with his friend Gaston ran back to the room. Sighing as he placed the bowl down on the side table he walked to the bathroom and splashed some water on his face from a washbowl that he had prepared that morning.

Walking back to the bedside Gaston began preparing another cloth to replace on Belle's forehead when his heart stopped.

"Gaston? Where am I?" Belle's weak voice spoke from beside him. Gaston quickly turned to see if his mind was playing tricks on him, but he knew that was wrong when he saw the beautiful brown eyes staring back at him. His heart began to race as he realized that Belle was awake again. It took him a few moments to regain his composure and find his voice again.

"You're in the tavern, you were fighting wolves and they began attacking you. You were severely injured and I found you near the end of the battle. Please forgive me for not finding you quicker." Gaston held Belle's hand and lowered his head in shame. He should have been there for her when she needed him. Why didn't he see her leave the village?

"But my father needs my help! I have to leave now!" Belle immediately shot up to return to her journey to save her father from the Beast. She must have wasted so much time already sleeping, who knows what that Beast could have done with him already? As Belle quickly shot up her vision blurred and she began to fall towards the ground, yet there was no strength in her body to stop her. Luckily, she felt arms catch her and soon enough she was facing Gaston once more as he laid her back down.

"You have been injured Belle, you cannot leave just yet. You have lost a significant amount of blood and you've had a fever for several hours now. You need to heal." Gaston spoke as calmly as he could to Belle, he needed her to understand that she was sick and no matter the circumstances that surrounded her father, and if she was not healthy there would be no point in traveling anytime soon.

"But my father –" Belle began to speak again, trying to stake her argument in the ground.

"Will not want you to risk hurting yourself even more. He would want you to be as strong as possible for this journey of yours you insist upon, please trust me on this" Gaston pleaded with Belle.

Belle pondered what Gaston was telling her for a moment. If it was true that she had a fever and a severe injury it would only impede her ability to keep her father as safe as possible. If she wanted to make sure he returned home completely unscathed she would do whatever it takes to make that possible – even if it means staying home for a couple of days to heal her body.

"Very well Gaston, I am at your command captain," Belle laid back down on the pillow giving a little smirk to the man before her. Belle knew that happiness can be found even in the darkest times if one only remembers to turn on the light, therefore she knew that even though her circumstances were the most unpleasant she's been in yet she did have Gaston there to keep her company and teasing the man could do no harm at all.

Gaston caught onto the teasing fast and returned the smile back at Belle. He knew that she must have been feeling better if she had the energy to tease him just like normal. He enjoyed her spitfire attitude and he was more pleased than words could describe that the Belle he knew was slowly, but surely, returning back to him. Before he forgot, he guided Belle's focus to her arm and began informing her about what happened there when he saw her eyes open widely and a gasp fly out of her mouth.

"The leader of the pack grabbed onto your arm, he held on very tight and it seems that he shook you around a little bit. I need to disinfect the area to try to make sure that infection doesn't set in. If we can take care of this together we might not need to call upon the doctor," Gaston informed Belle has he further inspected the area.

Belle nodded in approval and watched Gaston soak a cloth in a strong smelling liquid in a bowl, she knew that smell anywhere and closed her eyes as she prepared for the pain of the alcohol to hit.

"This may hurt a little bit, I am so sorry," Belle heard Gaston whisper in her ear before feeling the pressure of his lips against her temple. For a moment Belle relaxed into his touch surprised at how much she responded to him. But she wasn't able to dwell on the matter for long before a searing pain swept through her arm and she clamped her teeth together from crying out in pain. She knew that this was already hard enough for Gaston to do to her, crying would only make this harder for the both of them. Luckily, after a few minutes of having the alcohol soak into her wounds the pain began to subside and Gaston only removed the clothes when he finally saw Belle begin to relax.

Checking the wounds once more Gaston was more pleased with how they looked now, he was not afraid that Belle wouldn't make it through the night anymore. Throwing all the dirty towels into the bowl Gaston placed them back on the side table and tucked the blanket back in around Belle. Now all she needed to do was rest and let her body heal itself. Standing up after he was pleased with everything Gaston went towards the door to relieve LeFou of his job and take over keeping guard for the rest of the night. His fingers brushed against the doorknob when he heard Belle speak again, once more gaining his complete attention.

"Gaston, thank you for everything," Belle said as she began to try to get up to thank him. Her body was screaming from how sore it was. She exerted herself too much over the past couple of days without allowing herself to rest at all. This was now her punishment for not taking care of herself.

Gaston watched Belle once more try to get up, for reasons unknown. However, Gaston chided and admired her stubborn nature to get something down when it commanded her attention. As he grabbed her gently he was surprised for the first time in his life when he felt Belle press her lips against his. At first he didn't move much from the sheer shock of her actually kissing him, he had dreamed about it countless times but never thought it would actually happen. Finally his brain caught up and he kissed her back, receiving a soft moan from Belle. Gaston knew he would hate himself for the rest of eternity but he carefully pulled himself back, albeit grinning as wide as he could, and laid Belle back down in the bed.

"Please get some rest Belle, for your father and me," Gaston gently begged the beauty that had captured his heart. When Belle finally nodded in defeat she fell asleep within seconds and Gaston sighed as he finally left the room. He walked over to LeFou to let him know that he could leave now and once his friend was gone Gaston sat in his chair before the fire burning in the hearth and wondered what would happen now.

* * *

Oh my goodness! I am so thrilled! Thank you for all the feedback so far and I can't wait to hear more from you!


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